Best Online Education Programs in Washington, DC (2026)

Washington, District of Columbia has 5 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $10,314 to $27,536 per year for indexed programs. Washington has a population of about 672,079. Median household income is $106,287 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $134,490 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Washington

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer education programs near Washington, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Washington city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Washington. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

George Washington University

Washington, DC 0.7 miles from Washington BOC Score 76.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,873
Avg net price $36,586/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Strayer University-District of Columbia

Washington, DC 1.0 miles from Washington BOC Score 36.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Tuition
In‑state$13,920
Out‑of‑state$13,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Strayer University-Global Region

Washington, DC 1.0 miles from Washington BOC Score 26.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 13%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Avg net price $17,833/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 39%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Howard University

Washington, DC 1.2 miles from Washington BOC Score 60.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 41%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,066
Avg net price $50,539/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,810
Out‑of‑state$35,810
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Gallaudet University

Washington, DC 1.3 miles from Washington BOC Score 49.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,101
Avg net price $15,845/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Trinity Washington University

Washington, DC 1.7 miles from Washington BOC Score 51.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 100%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,804
Avg net price $9,302/yr
Tuition
In‑state$26,610
Out‑of‑state$26,610
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Georgetown University

Washington, DC 3.0 miles from Washington BOC Score 79.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 13%
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $103,494
Avg net price $40,815/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,017
Out‑of‑state$68,017
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

The Catholic University of America

Washington, DC 3.4 miles from Washington BOC Score 71.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,250
Avg net price $29,561/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all District of Columbia schools on the District of Columbia education page.


Education Wages Near Washington

Washington is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to District of Columbia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$80,300Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$73,737
Elementary School Teacher$79,470Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$72,975
Middle School Teacher$77,350Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$71,028
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$78,820Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$72,378
Education Administrator, K-12$134,490Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$123,499
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$125,460Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$115,207
Tutor$48,730Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$44,747
Educational and Career Counselor$77,420Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$71,093

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Washington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population672,079Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$106,287Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+63.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in District of Columbia County44,874 workers, 1,560 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Washington-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Washington, DC?

Accredited schools offering education programs near Washington are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Washington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Washington are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($134,490), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($125,460), Secondary School Teacher ($80,300). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with District of Columbia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Alexandria instead of Washington?

Alexandria, VA is 7.0 miles from Washington and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Washington an affordable place to study education?

Washington’s median household income of $106,287 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Washington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and District of Columbia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Washington

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Washington:

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.